Rural Roots Canada Meteorologist David Spence took a look back at the different conditions and how they impacted the farms and ranches throughout central Alberta.

Rural Roots Canada Meteorologist David Spence takes a look back at the different conditions and how they impacted the farms and ranches throughout southern Alberta.

It's been an up-and-down year for weather and moisture levels in the province.

Rural Roots Canada Meteorologist David Spence took a look back at the different conditions and how they impacted the farms and ranches throughout southern Alberta.

Nearly 80 young women from across southern Alberta gathered at Lethbridge Polytechnic for Harvesting Ambitions: Young Women in Agriculture, a hands-on career exploration event showcasing the diverse opportunities in agriculture.

The full-day program, organized by Southern Alberta Collegiate Institute, featured interactive workshops and panel discussions with women leaders in the industry. The students explored everything from plant chemistry and entomology to entrepreneurship and sustainability.

Teacher Lori Adamson says it was an eye-opening experience for the students. "A lot of the comments were about how they didn't know business and finance could be part of agriculture or that scientists had a role in agriculture, so we opened their eyes to some different fields within agriculture," says Adamson. "Our goal is to show these young women the value of a career in agriculture. Whether you’re interested in plant chemistry, environmental sciences or running the business side of an operation, agriculture has something for everyone.”

AgSafe Alberta has developed some new educational tools around respirators to make sure farmers can breathe easier in the future.

Jody Wacowich is the Executive Director of AgSafe Alberta.

She says they wanted to grow awareness about respiratory protective equipment and emphasize the longer-term health impacts on the farm.

For the full story go to ruralrootscanada.com.

The Centre for Innovation at Medicine Hat College, which is now in its second year, is expanding into agricultural research.

Chelsey Ehresman, who is the manager of C-4-I, says it's all possible due to some funding they received this year.

Nuffield Canada has been awarding life-changing scholarships to people in agriculture, food and farming for decades.

Chair Steve Larocque says the organization sends agribusiness professionals and farmers around the world to look at new ideas, innovations, policies, and practices.

In this Prairie Weather this Week report, RRC Meteorologist David Spence looks at whether the prairies will see a white Christmas.

A researcher at Lethbridge Polytechnic is taking aim at bacterial threats in poultry farming.

Dr. Sophie Kernéis, microbial research lead at the school, has received an $80,000 grant from the Egg Farmers of Canada to explore phytobiotics, plant-based compounds with antibiotic properties. The goal? To fight Avian Pathogenic E. Coli or APEC.

APEC is one of the leading bacterial causes of mortality and morbidity in poultry. It results in millions of chicken deaths and an estimated $10 to $50 million in cost each year. The bacteria can also lead to reduced growth in chickens, representing less meat per chicken and egg production.

Dr. Kernéis began her work in 2016 by creating a library of plant extracts to identify those with antibiotic potential. Her team has built an extensive library of plant extracts, testing roughing 150 varieties. The research has already identified a couple of promising plants capable of controlling E. coli and other harmful bacteria. "E. coli is one of their main problems, and so I'm focusing on this bacteria," says Dr. Kernéis. "But there are many other bacteria that can be also addressed."

To read more go to ruralrootscanada.com.

Just north of Craigmyle, Alberta, Flag Hill Ranch is redefining farm-to-table.

Owned by Justine Berry and her family, the ranch specializes in grass-finished beef, a decision driven by their commitment to sustainability and regenerative farming practices.

"We raise right from birth through until butcher," says Berry. "We branched into the direct marketing of our beef and launched our grass-finished beef program about 10 years ago. We were looking at what is a sustainable model for our ranch and looking at doing more with fewer animals. Going grass-finished really fit with our regenerative holistic rotational grazing model."

Connecting with consumers is important to the operation. Berry says social media plays a big role in reaching those customers, but it's also an important learning tool.

To read the full story go to ruralrootscanada.com.